In All Things Give Thanks
by Richtar
Summary: Sometimes tragedy gives birth to the things we never knew we needed.  Hyuuga Hiashi recalls his own life and how the events surrounding his own village and clan have led to such a discovery.


**In All Things Give Thanks**

**Disclaimer: Naruto and all characters created with him belongs to Kishimoto Masashi**.

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The sun had yet to rise this October morning, yet Hyuuga Hiashi had long ago arisen to begin the day. Silently, he went about his morning rituals so as not to disturb any of the others within the compound. Today would mark remembrance of those who had not survived fifteen years ago on this very day; but, also, tonight would be a celebration by those who survived. Naturally, he began this day in remembrance, but Hiashi fully intended to celebrate this day along with everyone. Few, however, would guess the entirety of his celebration.

Like a ghost, Hiashi made his way to the family shrine to honor his ancestors. Performing the customary rituals, his mind played over the events of the past that brought him to a most curious present. He had been the first born of twin sons, and thus became the heir to the clan while his brother, Hizashi, ended up with the Branch family. Still, the twins shared a closeness that few had seen. A smile ghosted across Hiashi's face as he remembered the day of Hizashi's branding and the childhood vows to be family first and always. Eventually the pressures of the clan put a wedge between them, culminating when they both had their first children. The clan council decreed that Neji would guard Hinata when he came of age. Thus, Neji would be branded when he was old enough to survive the process. Hizashi privately protested the decision to Hiashi, but Hiashi could do little to affect this decree. The Hyuuga elders made it impossible to deny fate. The day that he had to activate Hizashi's cursed seal, Hiashi felt that the rift with his brother had stretched into an uncrossable chasm. Afterwards, he lived for the Clan. With a sigh, Hiashi recalled that fateful kidnapping, the choice his brother made, and the horrible cost of it all. The underlying tensions that had lain dormant between the Main and Branch Houses began to surface again, and it manifested most prominently in Hizashi's son, Neji.

_Neji_. Hiashi thought of the young fatherless boy growing up around those who he perceived to be his father's murderers, yet he could do nothing about it. He too sat in his cage of flesh and grew bitter to his fate. Hiashi had long ago lost track of how many times he yearned to comfort his nephew and tell him of his father's true reasoning, but Hiashi only had to see the granite set of Neji's jaw to realize that he would never understand it. Wounds old and new reopened, and Hiashi felt lost as how to heal them. Hope for Hyuuga Hiashi and the Hyuuga clan seemed to dim as the years passed.

Finishing the last of his prayers to his dear departed wife, Hiashi's mind drifted onto his own actions, especially as they related to his eldest daughter, Hinata. At first he felt the love and pride as a father, yet something happened. Again, Hizashi's death had been the catalyst for some terrible change. Hiashi, however, knew what changed. Gradually, Hiashi found himself asking if Hinata had been worth losing his brother. Oh, he still loved Hinata, but now he knew that it had been tainted somehow. Around a year after Hizashi's death, Hiashi lost his wife as she brought their second daughter, Hanabi, into the world. Her death devastated Hiashi for a time. That, he decided, had been the final wedge between himself and Hinata. After that failure compounded failure in her training. Each time he would correct her his voice carried a harsh tone and his eyes a hard look. He could see Hinata wince as each word fell like a hammer blow crushing the young girl's fragile spirit, yet he did not care. So the years turned, and he gave Kurenai custody to train Hinata.

Hiashi looked out from the shrine as he finished his prayers. Dawn had yet to come and the overcast skies blotted out any traces of light from the heavens. Yes, during those years the Hyuuga clan felt as if it had fallen into darkness. People passed like wraiths through the corridors and kept conversations short and business-like. Hiashi had doubted that there would even be a "dawn" for his clan, yet it came just as he knew it would come today to turn darkness to light.

Rising from his seat, Hiashi made his way into the town to tend to his true business today. His walk took him to the monument commemorating those who were lost in battle to the Kyuubi. Vividly, he recalled how many of his clan had given their life to buy enough time for the Yondaime Hokage to arrive. He remembered the grief-stricken ceremony afterwards that laid hundreds to rest. Worst of all, he remembered that boy. That infant saddled with a burden beyond comprehension. The spiral seal caged the Kyuubi within the days old body. Disgust, horror, shock, outrage, anger, fear, and hatred all bubbled from the citizenry of Konoha, and it all stared right at that blond-haired, blue-eyed child that slept in the midst of a full council. Sandaime stood against the onslaught, the jabs, the rants, and the "reasoned" arguments. However, no one could or would stand against the Yondaime's last request. The child would live, but Hiashi knew as well as the Sandaime that he would forever be an outcast. The decree that became known as Sandaime's law came immediately so that the child might have a normal life amongst his peers. Since then, Hiashi had not paid any more attention to the child named Uzumaki Naruto other than to hear of some foolish prank or trouble he caused. No, Hiashi fought to keep his clan together and to keep his sanity as his family slowly splintered.

Hiashi wondered, as he walked to the monument for the Yondaime, if some god had foreseen his need and prepared a small miracle in the form of that blond-haired, blue-eyed pariah.

Perhaps it had started years before, but Hiashi knew that his change started shortly after the preliminary match of the Chunin Exam over two years ago. He remembered Hinata telling him that her team had entered, and Hiashi gave his ascent thinking that if she came back alive it might make her stronger or her death would simply seal her status as unworthy. A part of him seemed to yell from a distance that he was a fool and an idiot, but habit quickly silenced him. That part came screaming back in full force when he heard that Hinata was in critical condition after a no-holds-barred match with Neji. Hiashi knew that Gai had long tried to break the shell of bitterness that surrounded Neji, but that match handed Neji the perfect opportunity for revenge on the Main House. Only timely interference saved Hinata's life. It had been a couple of days before the hospital allowed him to see his daughter, but he had found her sleeping. So he left her sleeping not trusting that his visit would not worsen her condition. As he stepped down the hallway, he heard the loud voice of Uzumaki Naurto followed by the more subdued voices of Hatake Kakashi and Ebisu. It seemed the child would be going to the final round of the Chunin Exams and had asked or demanded that Kakashi teach him. Of course, Kakashi apparently decided to train Uchiha Sasuke exclusively instead and asked Ebisu to help. Hiashi forced his face not to lift into a smirk at the comedic nature of it all as the young blond complained before complying. When Naruto had seemingly left, Hiashi neared the end of the hall before stopping when he heard Naruto's voice again, but this time it held an oddly serious quality to it that made Hiashi stop and listen.

"Umm, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi sighed before turning back towards Naruto, "Yes, Naruto, what is it?"

The boy looked oddly serious for a moment before his question came out. "Well, I was wondering about the preliminaries." He frowned a moment as if not quite sure how to continue before saying, "It's about Hinata and Neji's match…"

Kakashi simply gave a short grunt to let Naruto know that he was listening.

"Well, I was wondering how… how someone who's supposed to be family can do that?" Naruto's voice started out quiet now rising in volume, "I mean, aren't they supposed to care about each other being family and all? What happened to make Neji such a bastard that he had to cut Hinata's dreams down like that!"

Kakashi looked contemplative for a moment before slowly shaking his head, "I'm not sure about either of those questions, Naruto. Perhaps you will find out soon, but you shouldn't keep Ebisu-san waiting."

The sound of a fist hitting a hand surprised Hiashi, but the declaration afterwards left him in shock. "Then, I'll find out, Kakashi-sensei, and I'll make that bastard understand and pay for what he did to Hinata. You don't laugh at someone when they give their all!"

With that, Hiashi stood transfixed in shock as Naruto finally left the hospital. A moment passed before Hiashi realized that Kakashi had turned to look at him and was smiling at him. "So, Hyuuga-sama… I couldn't convince you to explain why that happened to my curious student?"

Hiashi's exit answered Kakashi's question, yet Hiashi's mind turned that question over and over without stopping for several days. Finally, he could take it no longer and asked to speak with Kurenai. Naturally, the young jounin made time to appear before him, so he questioned her about what had happened during the preliminary matches in excruciating detail. Of course, he knew what had happened, but he wanted Kurenai's thoughts. The total picture shocked him. Here stood a young ninja from no clan who had barely made it out of the academy, yet he vowed to beat the number one rookie from last year and the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan because what was done to Hiashi's nearly disowned daughter. A slight frown marred Hiashi's face as he dismissed Kurenai. He knew full well that Neji would soundly decimate Naruto, yet something in his gut told him that the future was not as certain as he thought it. Something told him that some opportunity, or maybe a last chance, was coming soon. He would be prepared for it.

The day of the Chunin tournament came, and Hiashi took his youngest daughter, Hanabi, with him to observe the fights. Yes, it would do Hanabi good to see how true battles went when your opponent tried to kill you. Still, Hiashi wondered if perhaps he had other reasons to bring her today.

Naruto and Neji's fight stood first in line that day. Hiashi hid his eagerness to see his nephew. The first part of the fight went as expected though Hiashi had not anticipated Neji naturally learning the secret, advanced arts of the Main House. However, what shocked him most was Naruto standing again after being hit full force by Neji's attack. For some reason, Neji then told all of his life and that of the Hyuuga Branch family. Hiashi felt a knife twist in his gut as Neji recounted that horrible, horrible time. Then Hiashi heard as Neji shouted, "You could never understand what it's like to be burdened with a symbol you could never rid yourself of!"

The stands sat in an awed hush. All the adults looked at the two boys on the field as if seeing for the first time who truly fought there.

"Yeah… I can… And? So what?" came the quiet reply that even the cheap seats could hear. "Pfft! Stop acting so cool… You're not the only one that's special…!"

Naruto's voice gained in both power and volume as he continued, "Hinata too…She's suffered just as much as you! A member of the Main Family…but not acknowledged, trying her best to change herself… Thinking that as she was coughing up blood while fighting YOU!"

"YOU'RE THE SAME!" The blond boy's voice rang out clear as a bell and echoed a moment in Hiashi's mind before the boy continued, "The Branch family is supposed to protect the Main family, yet doing THAT to Hinata… In truth, YOU are trying your hardest to disobey destiny…"

Hiashi closed his eyes for a moment as Neji again taunted Naruto. A prayer formed in his mind before he looked down to see Naruto trying to pull out chakra that just would not come out after having been sealed away. Then the impossible happened. The blond jinchuuriki pulled out a chakra so unmistakable that it left many in the stands in awe. It only took a matter of moments, but Naruto defeated the Kaiten and managed to connect with a vicious uppercut to lay Neji out. Curious, the blond never gloated. He simply stated how his worst skill had become one of his signatures, and how Neji could change his own destiny.

What burned in Hiashi's ears, however, was the simply shouted promise Naruto made to change the Hyuuga if it was too much for them. _Have we fallen so far that it takes an outsider to fix what is broken?_ Hiashi asked himself. Setting his resolve, Hiashi knew what he needed to do. Standing, he left Hanabi in the stands while he went to have a long, overdue talk with Neji. Hiashi finally bared his heart to his nephew and even groveled before Neji to show the true sincerity and sorrow contained within his words.

Things happened rapidly after that. The Oto-Suna War occurred on that day with Naruto being an unsung hero stopping the Suna's jinchuuriki, Gaara. For some reason most villagers believed that the Uchiha boy had been responsible, but the majority of the council had heard the truth. After that, Uchiha Sasuke defected to Oto, and Neji nearly died on the recovery mission. Still, Hiashi took heart listening to Neji describe his fight with the spider-like Kidoumaru. Hiashi informed Neji that his training would be under Hiashi once Neji had recovered sufficiently. Neji looked quite surprised, but Hiashi knew this would finally help heal the old wounds of all his Family.

Like all wounds, time and care must be given by in order to let them heal properly. Hiashi dedicated himself to making sure that this chance at making everyone Family did not slip by him. He slowly learned to accept Hinata for the woman she was growing into and helped Neji become the man he was starting to develop into. Hiashi even made sure to spend time with Hanabi so the mistakes of the past would not be repeated again.

With his mind so preoccupied, Hiashi held his surprise in check when he heard the Godaime Hokage suddenly say, "I see you've also come here early to pay your respects, Hyuuga-sama."

Tsunade's eyes widened in surprised as a slow smile spread across Hiashi's features before he answered, "I did not come here for that alone, Hokage-sama." He placed a small arrangement of pink and white carnations tied with a bright orange ribbon on Yondaime's memorial as he finished his thoughts, "I came to give thanks."

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**A/N:** I'm just going to give some background on this story. I actually wrote this story back in November of 2007. At the time, I had read several fanfictions on this site, and those that dealt with Hyuuga Hiashi really demonized him. I finally ran across a story, "The Hyuuga Way", that tried to show him in a human light. That story really inspired me. Within a day of reading it, I head cranked out the initial draft of this one shot. It's sat on my computer for nearly 3 years, so I figured that it was time to man-up and post it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing.

Thanks go out to Novus Ars for helping me beta this story.


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